Top 10 culinary specialities in Quimper

Yum-yum! We can already hear your stomach rumbling (and ours too). Brittany’s gastronomy perfectly combines products from the land and from the sea. Do you like your meat cooked to perfection? Fish and shellfish? Then head for Quimper, this charming town in the west of France. If you’re planning a trip to this region, you’ll probably need a short, somewhat exhaustive list of the best dishes, delicacies and sweet specialities to try. Brittany is famous for its crêpes and galettes, but what savoury dishes are not to be missed? And above all, what traditional dishes are unique to Quimper? Without further ado, sit down and enjoy our ranking below.

What to eat in Quimper Our selection of the ten best dishes.

1. Atlantic seafood platter

We’re off to a great start, with quality dishes and refined flavours. Pesco-vegetarians, you’re going to love these fresh products, raw or cooked! Prawns, lobster, oysters, scallops… There’s a real festival of good things to eat here that will give you a taste of what Breton cuisine is all about. A ball of flavours and quality dishes. The Atlantic seafood platter is a favourite with tourists, and is usually enjoyed on a terrace in the middle of the afternoon. So you can enjoy the well-deserved freshness! This dish can also be served on festive days, for special occasions such as weddings or christenings.

2. Le Java de Quimper

Here’s a speciality that has its origins directly in the town of Quimper: Java. Why such a mysterious name? It’s actually a reference to the beautiful island of Java, which is particularly famous for its Indonesian coffee crops, with their unique taste and finesse. Java de Quimper is in fact a small round cake similar to a macaroon, iced with coffee and topped with almond cream. It’s the kind of dessert that’s easy on the taste buds, and catches the eye with its pretty golden-brown colour, like a sunset. The benefits of coffee? There are many: rich in antioxidants, it’s a good source of magnesium and promotes energy and concentration.

3. Kig Ha Farz

A typically Breton dish that you’ll find in absolutely every town in Brittany? Kig Ha Farz is a real nugget for anyone who appreciates meat and vegetables mixed in an intoxicating broth. What exactly is in it? Bacon, a little pork and beef shank, chuck, chunks of carrot, leek, celery, a little cabbage, turnips, and finally lipig: which is made with salted butter, mixed with shallots and onions. We can already see you salivating… The recipe can vary according to preference: some add lardons. It’s best to allow at least three hours cooking time, and two farz bags, with buckwheat flour and wheat flour.

4. La Cotriade

This speciality from Finistère is one of Brittany’s lesser-known dishes. And yet… its tenderness and delicacy on the palate are legendary. Do you like fish soups? After the seafood platter, try the fish soup with hake, conger eel, mackerel, red mullet, langoustines and a few mussels. Chunks of potato and a few herbs are also added to create an ocean of flavours and aromatic delights. It’s a light dish, perfect for those who want to continue their diet while indulging themselves.

5. Pancakes

Yes, here they are! It’s about time we introduced the famous Breton crêpes, so much sought-after by visitors. Between visits to historic monuments and strolls through Quimper’s lively streets, why not take a little break and enjoy a good hot crêpe with sweet fillings? Cooked mostly with delicious wheat flour, Breton crêpes are literally to die for. The best is to top them with a thin layer of salted butter. Once you’ve had your first bite, you’ll know the full meaning of the word ‘perfection’. With a glass of fresh juice, what could be better than eating a crêpe with the family on the edge of a terrace?

6. Le Palet Breton

Oyé, Oyé ladies and gentlemen! Here’s the star of this ranking, the one that’s eaten all over France, Europe and beyond… The Palet Breton is a traditional biscuit that’s usually eaten at snack time. Made with quality butter and puff pastry, their shortbread texture gives them an absolutely memorable and exceptional taste. It’s a bit like the crunchy biscuit that accompanies Quimper people’s coffees after they’ve eaten. They’re easy to find in Quimper, as they are throughout Brittany. They keep very well in a small tin, so you can take some with you when you visit the town.

7. La Pikolenn

The “Molenn sausage”, also known as Pikolenn (which means “big” in Breton) is made from natural casings with no added preservatives or flavourings. It is then turned by hand and cooked in plenty of simmering water. Described as “delicious and full of unexpected flavours”, they can be served with a buckwheat galette, a Quimper secret. What’s the special touch? It’s smoked with seaweed! Yes, you read that right. We’re talking about seaweed from the island of Quéménès, grown without any chemicals and marketed in many regions. With its iodised flavour, and of course smoked, it’s made using an ancestral know-how that comes directly from Breton farmers, who were looking for ways to preserve pork meat over the long term.

8. Andouille from Guémené

Here’s another unique charcuterie that’s also easy to find in Quimper. Andouillette de Guénemé is a real tasty surprise for tourists, some of whom are only now discovering it, even though it is eaten absolutely everywhere in Brittany. This old recipe is served with hot mashed potatoes. They are made from pork chowders that have been threaded one on top of the other. It’s as simple as that! The whole thing is then smoked and boiled. The last layer, around six to eight centimetres thick, is in fact a beef bladder. It’s a rather unique speciality, sure to delight carnivores.

9. Far Breton

Another sweet speciality! Far Breton comes straight from the town of Quimper, and is now regarded as THE dessert of the region. It’s a rather classic cake with prunes, rum and sometimes sultanas. You should know, dear friends, that the combination of rum and prunes is absolutely incredible! It’s a very easy and delicious recipe. This rather dense and hearty cake can be served for breakfast to get the day off to a good start, or as a visit to the town of Quimper. It can also be eaten as a dessert, or as an afternoon snack. In any case, at any time of day, you’ll find it hard to pass up a slice of far Breton!

10. Cornouaille cider

But what about drinks? What do people drink in Quimper? Quimper locals will tell you without hesitation: Cornouaille cider. This golden, frothy liquid is a corked, unpasteurised and non-carbonated cider. Prepared using traditional methods, the fruity aromas of apples and fresh peaches are subtly added. On the palate, it’s a whole host of flavours, matched by a perfect sugar/acid balance. Cornouaille cider also goes very well with dishes with meat in sauce. Now you know everything you need for a successful stay in Quimper!